I Did not Dance
by MindBabe
Summary: Ranger stands in a doorway watching over a happy Stephaine while Lee Brice Sings "I Don't Dance". First Fan Fic with little Morelli, NOT a cupcake fan. BABE all the way.


This is my first fan fic EVER! I set a goal to do this and just kept reading all the great stories out there until I realized I needed to meet this goal. I am a Government Contract writer, not an author by any stretch. I love Stephanie Plum and who doesn't love Ranger? So here it is, my first attempt at a song-fic. Now I have all kinds of ideas floating around in my head and think it's time to get them on paper. Let me know what you think good or bad.

Usual disclaimers... I don't own it, Janet does. I am NOT making any money off of this, it's just a pipe-dream!

****************************R/S R/S R/S *****************************************************

I stood there in the frame of the door taking in my surroundings and looking at the most beautiful woman that ever walked into my life. She was talking, smiling, and those deep cerulean blue eyes were lighting up the room. Some would say that Stephanie Michele Plum was the girl next door, but I could see the beauty she was inside and out. Breathtaking was the only word to describe her. It was the unexpected, the tenacity and sass that made her so desirable. I knew I was sexy and desired by woman, hell most of them would walk into walls to look at me. Steph once called me her "Cuban Sex God". I loved to hear her say those words. I was after all a Cuban American ex-Army Ranger with a body, according to Steph, carved by Michael Angelo. I could feel the corners of my mouth turn up as I thought about her comment the first time I met her…

"_he looks like Michael Angelo carved the statue of David out of chocolate" _Stephanie said as she walked into the dinner the first time we met. She tends to say things out loud without knowing it. Why she definitely checked me out that day, she never fell over herself to impress me or act the least bit interested. She was my enigma. Steph was the first woman to look through me and not at me or my money. She saw me, the real me.

Who am I, I am Ricardo Carlos Manoso, at least that was the name on the birth certificate. I am better known in Trento New Jersey as "Ranger" a black ops adrenaline fueled Cuban American Army Ranger. Not just any Ranger I was THE RANGER which is how I got that street name. Bad ass bounty hunter and ex-military Special Forces dressed in black, that's me. I was dark to Stephanie's light, the ying to her yang, and the Bad to her Good.

As I continued to watch her from the door way I stood in, I could still remember the times I had told her "I don't DO RELATIONSHIPS" and my "my love doesn't come with a ring, but condoms would work". I was a dark soul, who never deserved the light and love of the blue-eyed beauty. I was the man who was determined to live a solitary life, no commitments, no entanglements, no settling down and NO RELATIONSHIPS. I was never prepared for the blessing God sent me in the form of my BABE, my blue-eyed savior.

As I continued to reminisce on the past, I saw BABE walk over to the DJ and ask him to play a song for her. I couldn't take my eyes off her as I wondered what she was up to now. She was the kind of girl you wanted to settle down with, but I was the guy who would never settle down. Then I heard the words of the song and the corner of my mouth tilted up just a little. My single brow shot up as she looked at me from across the room.

_I'll never settle down,  
>That's what I always thought<br>Yeah, I was that kind of man,  
>just ask anyone<em>

Only my BABE. In four short years this woman knew me better than I knew myself. We had come a long way from teacher/student, friends, sometime lovers, to this day. I almost lost her to that want to be FBI agent, detective Joseph Morelli. He was her ex-boyfriend/fiancé and thorn in my side. How could anyone say they love someone and treat her like he did? He took advantage of a young girl at six and then again at Sixteen. I believe in second chances, but Joe believed in competition. He always wanted what he could never have. Steph walked up to me and smiled. "Care to dance, Batman" she asked. Everyone knows I don't dance I thought to myself and then I listened to the words of the song playing as I took her in my arms…

_I don't dance, But here I am  
>Spinning you around and around in circles<br>It Ain't my style, but I don't care  
>I'd do anything with you anywhere<br>Yes, you got me in the palm of your hand  
>Cause, I don't dance<br>_

Everyone in the Trenton VFW hall was watching us move on the dance floor.

"You look beautiful Babe" I say as I reach up and push a stray curl behind her ear.

"Not looking to bad yourself, Batman." She says as she bites her bottom lip. God I loved when she did that. I wanted to bite that lip and then spend hours kissing her. I could too. I could kiss her forever, but I don't do that.

"Every think we would be here, Steph. Dancing in the hall with all of our friends and family watching and Morelli standing over by the bar glaring at me". I asked her.

"Honestly, Carlos. I did. You have always been there for me. Never expecting anything in return. Always picking me up when I fell down and you always supported me and reminded me that I could fly. So yes, Mr. I don't dance. I knew we would do this dance." She says with nothing but truth and honesty in her eyes.

I continued to move across the floor with steph so close to my body that I almost forgot we were being watched by _everyone_ in New Jersey. I pulled her closer to my body, if that was possible and continued to listen to the words of the song as I pressed my cheek to her's…

_Love's never come my way,  
>I've never been this far<br>Cause you took these two left feet  
>And waltzed away with my heart<br>_

Yes, I was married once, but it was out of obligation and definitely not out of love. It was the result of a one night stand on a long overdue leave from the Rangers mission we were on. That one night of _lust _resulted in a beautiful daughter. I gave her a name and security, but I never gave her love. My life was so dangerous and I didn't dance, so I let another man adopt her. Babe knew the price I paid for it, no one else knew or ever cared to try and know. Babe never judged me for giving up on my child; instead, she treated me like a hero. She encouraged me to fix my relationship with my daughter. I tried many times telling her I was only a man, but Steph insisted I wasn't and called me Batman. She is my light, my soul "Babe" was my heart and I had honestly never been this far. I spun my bride around the floor and heard these words again…

_I don't dance, But here I am  
>Spinning you around and around in circles<br>It Ain't my style, but I don't care  
>I'd do anything with you anywhere<br>Yes, you got me in the palm of your hand  
>Cause, I don't dance<em>

So here I am dancing in circles with my beautiful blue eyed bride. I don't care who sees me happy, smiling, and dancing with the woman who won my heart and taught me to dance.

Well that was in my head since the song came out in 2014! hope you enjoyed it. Now R&R.


End file.
